Cars are 'too fast, too many' on Ardleigh Street

Neighbors to petition city for traffic study

by MICHAEL J. MISHAK

Speeding motorists have spurred a group of Ardleigh Street neighbors to petition the city's Streets Department for a traffic study. According to group organizer Bob Previdi, a Winston Road resident, "too many cars are simply moving too fast."

"There seems to be a disregard for the pedestrian nature of the community," said Previdi, who moved to Chestnut Hill in February 2003.

As the group's organizer, Previdi draws from his 14-year experience as a transportation planner with New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

On Monday, Previdi recounted an incident last week in which he watched four cars ignore stop signs at Ardleigh Street and Willow Grove Avenue before an 11-year-old girl could cross the intersection. "That is disgraceful," he said. "And there's no reason why we have to keep things the way they are."

Traffic problems have worsened since the closure of Cresheim Valley Drive, Previdi said. He claims most of the offenders are Montgomery County residents headed for Lincoln Drive. "This is not Chestnut Hill traffic. It doesn't originate here and it's not destined here. It breezes through our community and I really think Chestnut Hill should stand up and pay attention."

Previdi is reviewing traffic surveys that were recently distributed to Ardleigh Street residents and said community concerns would be incorporated into a letter asking the Streets Department for a traffic study.

In January 2001, Pennsylvania issued a policy on "traffic calming," Previdi said. Like many communities in the city, Chestnut Hill will approach the issue with a formal process, which could officially validate the problem, said Previdi, who is also director of communication for City Council President Anna Verna.

With a 75-percent consensus of Ardleigh Street's residents, "we could get changes to keep Chestnut Hill the pedestrian friendly place it is," Previdi said.

While stop signs could be possible deterrents, they are not effective solutions in the traffic-engineering world because people ignore them, he said.

Speed bumps, though not common on city streets, could be another alternative, he said.

Residents have suggested additional parking for the Water Tower and limiting Abington Avenue to one-way traffic, Previdi said. Permit parking and more visible crosswalks were also mentioned at a recent meeting of about 15 neighbors, he said.

Still, with no speed limit signs and little police enforcement, the situation isn't going to remedy itself, Previdi said.

Depending on the Ardleigh Street case, Previdi may next focus his attention on Willow Grove Avenue, which falls under state jurisdiction.

Anyone interested in further information about the Ardleigh Street traffic situation or traffic calming can contact Bob Previdi at bobprevidi@comcast.net.